Transcribing Petition for Clemency
I have been transcribing a series of letters that formed a petition for clemency in 1831, but there are some words / handwriting that I have struggled with and any help would be much appreciated:
LETTER 1
Bethel October 27th 1831
My Lord, may it please your Lordship
I hope you will not be offended at the forwardness I take in writing to you but if it is an offence, I beg your pardon a thousand times over but trusting to your candour and goodness that you will forgive me in such a case as I am oblige to take [******] as a child begging for a dear parents liberty which is all that a wife and four helpless children has to depend upon which at present through great misfortune he is deprived of begging leave to describe the circumstances we are now placed in to you. My father Owen Griffith he is a native of Carnarvon a gardener by trade but most unfortunate for us he turned to the business of Slate Merchant which he carried on for some but having nothing to begin with but what he laboured hard for, he took a large Cargo of Slates from Carnarvon to Swansea and was to pay for them in three months time for which he gave a three months bill with his brother's name indorsed on it but when the bill came up he was [unprovided with money to meet it. So his brother swore against him that he never indorsed any bill for him . He happened to be so unfortunate that he could not sell the Slates and the still remain in a yard in Swansea unsold but my poor father was taken on the 27th of July 1831 and has had his trial and sentence to be transported by which means we are all reduced to the utmost poverty and distress, My poor mother has never been out of bed since my father was put in prison now we have no one to do any thing for us only [**************] children. The people of Carnarvon made a petition for my father but we have received no answer but we beg and pray to your Lordship that you will have compassion upon him and be as lenient with him as possible as he is a very weak sort of person and very unable to bear such punishment as is inflected upon him in prison so we beg that when he will be removed out of Carnarvon Gaol that he will not be sent out of England for which all our prayers will endure for you as my poor father’s life lies in your hands at present. So we all beg and trust to your candour and goodness that you will extend your benevolent hand and release the [****] husband unto his [****] family to support them again from such miserable distress. Hoping that the Lord will repay you for your mercifull goodness.
Begging leave to subscribe myself your very humble and Obedient servant
Mary Griffith
Bethel
Llangefni
Anglesea
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eBn...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10GU...ew?usp=sharing
LETTER 2
My dear Lord
I have the honor as representative to Parliament for the Borough of Carnarvon to transmit herewith the Petition of Owen Griffith, which has been forwarded to me under the recommendation of the Bailiffs & the principal inhabitants of the Said Borough, who have earnestly entreated that I will endeavour to move you, to take the case into favourable consideration and I need not add that I feel well assured that it cannot be in more just & [*****] hands than your Lordships.
I have the honor to be Lord your most faithful servant.
ORIGINAL DOCUMENT:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n6c...ew?usp=sharing
LETTER 3
The humble Petition of Owen Griffith aged forty four years late of the Town of Carnarvon Slate Merchant, now a Prisoner confined in the Gaol at Carnarvon aforesaid
Most humbly Sheweth
That your Petitioner was brought up at an early age as a Gardener, afterwards he was employed as Superintendent of some stone quarries and within the last two years he became a Slate Merchant occasionally shipping Cargoes of Slate Coastwise and proceeding with the same for the sale thereof.
That in the current year your Petitioner purchased Slate from the Talyarn Slate Company (Carnarvonshire) as the said Company would not sell their slate but on Cash payment or an accepted Bill upon some Banker or Bankers in London. He your Petitioner drew a three months Draft upon John Jones his Brother payable at Sir James Esdaile &Co Bankers London for the sum of £135. 12. 0. and put thereon the name of his said Brother John Jones as Acceptor of the same, at the time of so doing your Petitioner though to [take] up the said Bill with the proceeds of the Cargo of Slate which he then bought before it became due; as your humble Petitioner had not the most [distant] idea of defraud on this unfortunate transaction.
That your Petitioner was not able to sell the said Slate and receive payment for them prior to the said Draft or Bill becoming due; consequently it was discovered not to be a genuine Draft.
That your Petitioner was on the 27th July last apprehended and on the 29th of the same month tried and convicted of the forgery and sentenced to transportation consequently after an unstained and unimpeached life he is about to be bereaved of the society of a beloved and affectionate wife and four children who thereby will have parity to share the punishment; although they did not participate in the guilt of your unfortunate Petitioner.
Therefore your Petitioner begs and most respectfully and humbly to solicit your Lordship's attention and humane consideration to the Certificate of Petitioner's Character previous to the [******] of this crime and that your Lordship will be pleased to move and advise his most Gracious Majesty as the [Fountain]; this side of the [Grave], from whence only [*****] can flow to your Petitioner that his Majesty will be graciously please to mitigate the punishment inflicted upon him, so that He, your Petitioner shall not be sent from his beloved Country and grant such [lessor] punishment as may be deemed most from the attestations herewith accompanied.
And your Petitioner as in Duty bound, will ever pray.
Signed by Owen Griffith
Gaol at Carnarvon
25th August 1831
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1INp...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lBT...ew?usp=sharing
